Magnetic lid lifter



Feb. 28, 1956 w. E. MOORE ETAL 2,736,091

MAGNETIC LID LIFTER Filed Oct. 23. 1950 52 4 hv/suroes;

WALTER E. M0025 ER/CH RLQNDP/q FEED FSONTHE/MER) 3V 9 linited States Patent MAGNETIC LID LIFTER Application October 23, 1950, Serial No. 191,646 11 Claims. (Cl. 30-64) Ferguson, Mo., assignors to Company, tlt. Louis, Mo.,

The present invention relates generally to can openers, and more particularly to novel improvements in magnetic lid lifters or holders adapted for use in combination with mechanical can openers.

Briefly, the invention contemplates an improved magnetic lid lifter or holder comprising a novel arrangement of a permanent magnet and two dissimilar pole shoes to form a magnet assembly, said assembly being resiliently suspension mounted in a shell-like enclosure or cover which is in turn pivotally mounted to an element of a known type of can opener.

it is a general object of the present invention to provide improvements which will overcome certain deliciencies of known devices intended generally to retain a severed can top or lid to prevent it from falling into the can.

in the attainment of the general object as above set forth, it is a specific object to provide a novel magnetic can top or lid lifter or holder which is so mounted as to permit ready and convenient access to parts of the associated can opener which it is desirable to clean periodically.

It is another specific object of the invention to provide a magnetic lid litter or holder having an exceptionally efiicient magnet assembly, which exceptional efiiciency results from a high concentration of magnetic lines of force within the pole shoes.

It is another specific object of the invention to pro vide a magnetic lid lifter or holder in which the magnet assembly is normally disposed in a position conforming to the usual tipped position of the can lid at the moment of final severing, thereby to lessen the possibility of pulling the lid from the lifter at the moment of maximum holding strain.

It is another specific object of the invention to provide a magnetic lid lifter or holder in which the magnet assembly is resiliently suspension mounted, thereby continuously to adapt the position of the magnet assembly to the various positions of the lid as it is severed from the can, and, further, to exert through spring retraction an effective mechanical lifting force upon the lid when it is finally severed from the can to raise it from the cans contents.

Other specific objects of the invention are to provide a magnetic lid lifter having a minimum number of separate parts adapted to relatively inexpensive mass production and assembly, which is neat and compact in appear ance, which is automatic in its action, and which has an inherent long life.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description taken with the accompanying drawing, in which:

Fig. 1 is a side elevational view of a magnetic lid lifter constructed in accordance with the teachings of the present invention, shown attached to a mechanical can opener of known type severing the lid from a can shown fragmentarily;

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the magnetic lid lifter,

the can opener, and the can of Fig. l, the can opener being shown fragmentarily;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view taken generally on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged vertical sectional view taken generally on the longitudinal centerline of the magnetic lid lifter showing the magnet assembly in a normal position of rest;

Fig. 5 is a side elevational view of the magnetic lid lifter and a portion of the can opener showing a normal relation of parts when the mechanism is at rest; and

Fig. 6 is an enlarged perspective view of a magnet assembly.

Referring to the drawing more particularly by reference numerals, a magnetic lid lifter 10 is shown pivotally mounted by means of a rivet 12 to a horizontally disposed flange or can top guide bracket 14 of a known can opener 16. Although not shown in the drawing, the rivet 12 may have assembled therewith a resilient device, for example, a common lock washer, for the purpose of providing continuous frictional contact between the abutting surfaces of the riveted joint.

As mentioned, the can opener 16 may be a known type adapted for wall mounting as by a wall bracket 18 and may comprise principal elements, such as a frame 20 upon which is slidably mounted a carrier 22 so as to be movable with respect to the frame 20 upon rotation of a lever 24. A crank 26 and a feed wheel 28 are rotatably mounted on a lower portion of the frame 20, the feed wheel 23 being adapted to cooperate in overlapping relation with a cutter disk 30, rotatably mounted on the carrier 22, in severing a lid such as 32 from a can such as 34.

The overlapping relation of the feed wheel 28 and the cutter disk 30 when the lever 24 is in the position of Fig. 1 provides efitective support for the weight of the can 34 and the contents thereof, and the can is rotatably maintained in a vertical position by lateral abutment of its side with a horizontally disposed can guide flange 36 of the frame 20 and by a vertical abutment of its upper rim with the underneath surface of the can top guide bracket 14. A rim guide bracket 38 mounted on the carrier 22 serves to prevent the can from pivoting laterally about its area of engagement with the feed wheel 28 and the cutter disk 30.

The magnetic lid lifter 10 includes a shell-like enclosure or cover 40 preferably formed from non-magnetic material such as aluminum and having a horizontally disposed mounting flange 41 for the aforementioned pivotal attachment to the can top guide bracket 1 The cover 40 forms an enclosure with an open face, the open face lying in a plane. The generally preferred shape of the cover 40 is clearly depicted in the several orthographic views of the accompanying drawing. A magnet assembly 42, shown in isometric projection in Pig. 6, comprises a cylindrical permanent magnet 44 having a rear pole shoe 46 and a front pole shoe 4-3 secured to the parallel pole faces of the magnet 44 as by a non-magnetic rivet St). The respective pole shoes 46 and 48, shaped substantially as shown in the drawing, are of magnetic material and each has a pair of projections 52 depending from a lower edge thereof. It will be noted that the pole shoe 46 is a simple plate-like member, while the pole shoe 48 is an integral formed member having two parallel platelike end elements 54 and 56 joined by a longitudinal element 58 which is also plate-like, but which, in the illustrated embodiment, has an arcuate cross section. The general shape and arrangement of the magnet assembly 42 provides an exceptionally efiicient concentration of magnetic lines of. force at the ends of the projections 52 and at the same time provides a construction which is simple, compact, and relatively small.

giggle ngrggnet assembly 42 is movably suspended within the cover 46 by means of a non-magnetic rivet pin 60 passmg loose y through a hole 62 in the element 58 of the front pole shoe 43 and firmly secured to the cover 44), as epg shqwn in Fig. 4. A non-magnetic compression spring 4 1s interposed between the suspended head of the rivet ,p in pii and the pole shoe 4%, the magnet assembly 42 bemg thus biased to occupy a position wherein it abuts with th e ig 'de top of the cover 40. It will be noted, however, g at th ribution of weight in the magnet assembly 49 igsigh dispose it in a normal rest position having a This predisposition to a rearwai'diy downward slant. l nt i ngpasition cooperates with the usual tipping of a can at moment of final severing and thus tends to equal i z e t l ip holding strain upon the pole shoes 46 and 48 51;, tl' e t i p i e pf maximum demand upon the attractive force themagnet assembly. Obviously, after the can lid is p ompletely severed from the can, the spring 64 tends to magnet assembly 42 and the severed lid, therey a revent ng the latter from dropping into the open can.

Operation I opener in is prepared to receive the can 34 ligvin ith lid 32 when the lever 24 is rotated to the posiby the phantom'lines of Fig. 1. With the lever 24 in this position, the cutter disk 30 will be so separated from the feed wheel 28 as to permit the insertion of pe "rim of the can 34 therebetween. Subsequent f the lever 24 to the position indicated by the 111 s of Fig. 1 will cause the carrier 22 to carry the e sk 30 to a position where it will overlap the feed as aforementioned, thereby penetrating the lid L supporting the weight of the can 34 and the contfi in ar fjlis' thelcan 34 is placed in the above described position, itie t'tiactive force of the magnet assembly 42 upon the iidiafeauses the magnet assembly 42 to descend against the action of the spring 64 until the projections 52 of the pole shoes 46 and rest upon the lid 32 as shown in fig and 3, thereby effecting a closed magnetic path fipmjo pole shoe to the other through the lid 32.

,K A the crank 26 is turned, the rotating feed wheel 28 ft: can 34 to rotate upon its vertical axis, theren H a ring the lid 32 from the can 34, the projections 52 irig inwliile remaining in continuous gliding contact with the? 2. At the moment of complete severance of the i 3'2from the can 34, the normal rearwardly downward of the lid 32 causes a maximum strain upon the holding power of the magnet assembly 42 which is in part accommodated by the above-mentioned predisposition of the ma U complete severance of the lid 32 from the can 34,

in; o: er continues to adhere to the magnet assembly 42,

bl2 upvt ardly from the can 34, so that the latter may be ie'ii r lfrom the can opener 16 without the lid 32. After associated therewith, it may be desirable to move the lid lifter 10 from its normal proximate position to these parts, it is only necessary to swing the c lid lifter 10 about the pivot 12 to the position d by the phantom lines of Fig. 2 to gain the degr 18 be understood that the foregoing description and m e accompanying drawing have been given only by way lpstration and example, and that changes in form and sghsti-tgtion of equivalent elements, which will be apparemlioz-those skilled in the art, are contemplated as within thblscope of the present invention which is limited only by the claims which follow.

rowan is claimed is:

l's 'i-he combination with a can opener including means fer 'severing a top from a can, of magnetic means mounted on said can opener for retaining a severed top so as to prevent its falling into the open can including an enclosure, a permanent magnet having two dissimilar pole shoes secured thereto, and means associated with one of said pole shoes suspension mounting said permanent magnet in said enclosure.

2. in combination, means for severing a top from a can, magnetic means for retaining the severed top so as to prevent its falling into the open can, said magnetic means including a permanent magnet having two dissimilar pole shoes secured thereto, and means'associated with one of said pole shoes whereby said magnetic means may be suspension mounted, said means for suspension mounting being so disposed with respect to said one of said pole shoes as to provide an eccentric distribution of weight along a principal axis of said magnetic means whereby said magnetic means tends to assume an inclined position when suspension mounted.

3. In combination, means for severing a top from a can, and magnetic means for retaining the severed top so as to prevent its falling into the open can, said magnetic means including a permanent magnet having two pole faces, said faces being disposed on a mutual axis, said axis being in a vertical plane substantially parallel to said severing means, said axis having an inclination less than 45 with respect to a horizontal line.

4. In combination, an elongated device for severing a top from a can, and magnetic means for retaining the severed top so as to prevent its falling into the open can, said magnetic means including .a permanent magnet having two pole faces, said faces being disposed in spaced parallel planes on a mutual axis lying in a vertical plane substantially parallel to the direction of elongation of said severing device, and a pole shoe, said pole shoe being secured to one of said pole faces.

5. In combination, means for severing a top from a can, and magnetic means for retaining the severed top so as to prevent its falling into the open can, said magnetic means comprising a permanent magnet having two parallel pole faces to which are secured respectively a first pole shoe having the form of a flat plate of irregular contour and a second pole shoe comprising two parallel plate-like end elements joined by an integral longitudinal element effecting a spaced relation between said end elements.

6. In combination, means for severing a top from a can, and magnetic means for retaining the severed top so as to prevent its falling into the open can, said magnetic means comprising a cylindrical permanent magnet having a hole axially therethrough, a first pole shoe of magnetic material in the form of a flat plate of irregular contour, a second pole shoe of magnetic material comprising a plurality of parallel end elements joined by an integral spacing element, and non-magnetic means for securing said first and second pole shoes to said permanent magnet. i

v 7. The combination with a can opener including means for severing a top from a can, of a magnetic lid lifter connected to said can opener comprising an enclosure, a magnet assembly disposed in said enclosure, and a resilient connection between said magnet assembly and said enclosure biasing said magnet assembly into said enclosure but permitting partial withdrawal of said magnet assembly from said enclosure.

8. The combination with a can opener including means for severing a top from a can, of a magnetic lid lifter connected to said can opener, said magnetic lid lifter comprising an enclosure, a magnet assembly, and means mounting said magnet assembly in said enclosure, said mounting means including a mounting member which extends freely through one of said magnet assembly and said enclosure and which is secured to the other, said mounting means further including a resilient member engaging'said mounting member and the one of said magnet assembly and said enclosure through which the mounting member extends freely, said magnet assembly being biased by said resilient member inwardly in respect to said enclosure, said mounting means permitting tilting movement of said magnet assembly relative to said enclosure.

9. In combination, means for severing a top from a can, and magnetic means for retaining the severed top so as to prevent its falling into the open can, said magnetic means including a permanent magnet having two dissimilar pole shoes secured thereto, one of said shoes being adapted for flexible supported connection with said severing means.

10. In combination, means for severing a top from a can, and magnetic means for retaining the severed top so as to prevent its falling into the open can, said magnetic means including a permanent magnet having two dissimilar pole shoes secured thereto, one of said shoes being in the form of a flat plate, the other of said shoes including spaced parallel plate-like end elements joined by a generally plate-like longitudinal element.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,262,994 Stokes et al. Apr. 16, 1918 2,265,491 Powers Dec. 9, 1941 2,369,300 Kehoe Feb. 13, 1945 2,385,859 Jacobson Oct. 2, 1945 2,437,234 Webb Mar. 2, 1948 2,503,467 Blind Apr. 11, 1950 2,508,305 Teetor May 16, 1950 2,554,628 Mesik May 29, 1951 2,573,427 Frolich Oct. 30, 1951 2,591,155 Horstmann Apr. 1, 1952 2,624,110 Acker Jan. 6, 1953 2,648,127 Nelson Aug. 11, 1953 

